Japan has again demonstrated its prowess in high-speed rail travel with its state-of-the-art maglev train setting a world record of just over 600km/h (373mph), just days after it broke its previous 12-year-old record.
The seven-car maglev – short for “magnetic levitation” – reached a top speed of 603km/h during what officials described as a “comfortable” zip along a test track near Mount Fuji.
The Lo Series train, carrying 49 Central Japan Railway employees, covered 1.8km in just under 11 seconds at over 600km/h, the company said.
“The ride was comfortable and stable,” Yasukazu Endo, the head of the Maglev Test Centre, told the Asahi Shimbun newspaper. “We would like to continue analysing data and make use of it in designing the cars and other equipment.”
The maglev hovers 10cm above the tracks and is propelled by electrically charged magnets.
But fare-paying passengers face a long wait before they can experience the thrill of travelling at speeds that surpass even those managed by Japan’s vaunted shinkansen bullet train service, whose latest models whisk people between the main cities at speeds of up to 320 km/h.
By 2045 maglev trains are expected to cover the 410km between Tokyo and Osaka in one hour and seven minutes, cutting the journey time in half.
Despite the hefty price tag, Japan is hoping to sell its high-speed rail technology overseas as part of an attempt to revive the world’s third-biggest economy through infrastructure exports.
